


Take Me Back

by EverShadow



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2019-10-18 06:48:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17575943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EverShadow/pseuds/EverShadow
Summary: For Catra and Adora, moving on from betrayal means delving deeper into what they each believe is right and fighting the battles they may not want to finish.





	1. Sleep

“Second in comaaaannnddd. Whooohoo!” Scorpia cheered as they left Hordak’s chamber. “Not bad, not bad at all!”

“Just imagine all the information you have access to now. I can't wait to see the super classified documents that the Horde has!” Entrapta’s eyes glittered with possibility. Catra walked quietly, her mind still replaying the events of just a few hours ago. She'd gotten what she wanted but bitterness still lingered on her tongue.

“Catra?” Scorpia placed a claw on her shoulder.

“I'm going to bed.” She shrugged it off and marched away.

The buzzing of the Black Garnet runestone kept her up most nights, but now it had gone silent. With it had gone the persistent fear, no matter how old Catra got, that Shadow Weaver would appear at the foot of her bed and drag her away to “dispose of her”. In a way, the darkness, the quiet except for Scorpia and Entrapta’s synchronized snoring in the other room, was comforting, even if they’d just lost.

Pain kept her up. Her ribs hurt from whatever stupid friendship blast She-ra and her idiot friends had inflicted. Her forearms burned from the battle, and she had a distinct feeling that there’d be bruising at her collarbone from where She-ra had slammed her into the wall.

Adora, not She-ra.

Adora her best friend. Her _former_ best friend.

It’s a mantra Catra’s taken to repeating at night to remind herself why she’s fighting. Her former best friend had abandoned her, and the pain made her stronger. It's what she told herself to get to sleep at night, and it's the first thought on her mind that gets her out of bed at an hour the old Catra would have balked at. _She betrayed you._ Her claws dug into the edge of the bed, scraping the metal and making a horrible screeching noise. In the other room Scorpia snorted, making Catra hop to her feet. The last thing she needed was Scorpia coming in asking if she had trouble sleeping, which she was but she wasn't about to let anyone know.

She left her room and navigated through the darkness, wandering aimlessly. Her mind kept running to the last image she had of Adora, surrounded by her new friends and united against the Horde. She squeezed her arm and blinked away the image, only to have a new one form in her head.

What could have been…

She could have been there, holding Adora’s hand instead of that stupid glitter princess as they stood victorious. She could have been the one Adora looked to when the battle was over with those brilliant, glowing eyes and the radiant smile that wasn't just from becoming She-ra. She could have been there in the quiet of the night, watching over her as she slept off her wounds and fatigue. She could picture Adora’s face, slightly troubled by the aches, cuts and bruises, as she lay next to her. They did this all the time in training. Adora always insisted that the thrum of Catra’s breathing made her heal faster.

Catra caught herself in the middle of her daydream. She shook her head of it, trying to block out the thought because it wasn't just the images of Adora that bothered her, it was the fact that she imagined all of it independent of the Horde or Etheria. There was no dark or light, no sides in her fantasy, just them.

She looked up at where she was, realizing she'd been aimlessly wandering for the better half of an hour. Old habits die hard, as her subconscious has brought her to where she and Adora used to meet up so they could sneak out. It was a small area behind a set of broken pipes, and an air duct for an entrance. She knew what lay beyond there, she knew the memories that lingered in that space. A part of her wanted to go in, tear up the pillow fort they'd kept from childhood, splatter paint across all the messages they'd left on the wall. She wanted to obliterate those mementos of when Adora was hers. She hated Adora for leaving and she hated that Adora left for a place that had no trace of what they'd once been. She'd left Catra in a place where everywhere she turned there was a lingering presence of what their relationship used to be - every corner had a story, every stray mark on the ground screamed at her _“ADORA!”_

She could destroy the room, but she couldn't destroy all of Fright Zone. So she turned on her heel and followed the other memories back to her bed.

~~~

The first few hours of sleep came without a fight. Her wounds healed quickly, and Adora fell peacefully into her dreams. But as the night lingered on, the fight invaded her thoughts. Catra's claws sharpened against her back and Adora woke up with a yell. The sheets under her were soaked with cold sweat and the imaginary pain lingered long enough for her to reach out and touch where Catra had wounded her. She felt nothing but smooth skin under her fingers and she lay back down, shifting to a dryer spot on her bed.

“Glimmer, I just had a terrible dream…” She began before remembering that Glimmer had slept in her mother's room for tonight. Loneliness filled her stomach and she rolled over again to look out the window. The Whispering Woods had thawed mostly, but she couldn't make out the bright leaves anymore. Princess Perfuma had said she would evaluate the damage, and report by tomorrow night but her expression looked grim when she touched the dead trees surrounding Bright Moon.

There was so much work to be done repairing the damages the Horde had caused. There was no time to take a breath, the Horde has been beaten this time, but whatever they had done to the Runestones, they could do it again, not to mention they had no idea what the side effects were. If Glimmer had been corrupted, what if the Runestones were too?

She tossed over and over until she finally sat up. She needed to be around people to sleep but there was no one around. She instead made her way down to the stables.

“Swift Wind?” She called out softly. “Swift Wind are you…?”

“I was definitely not sleeping in stables!” Swift Wind shot out of one of the stalls and cleared his throat. “I just, uh, was dozing as I was rescuing my fellow horses.” Adora smiled.

“It’s ok, I get it. It’s hard to sleep somewhere you’re not used to.” _Or without someone..._ the thought intruded like water in her lungs, it choked her when she remembered the warmth of Catra by her feet. She sucked in air sharply and only Swift Wind’s warm nuzzle brought her back.

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah, just...remembering.”

“The battle was so recent I’m not surprised you’re remembering.”

“That’s not what…” she cut herself off. How could she explain the emptiness she felt every day waking up without Catra by her feet? How it took a whole week to even get to sleep without it?

“Weird request.” Adora laughed nervously as she walked back into the stable. She looked around for a suitable area before settling in the corner in an empty stall. The hay was suspiciously warm, as if someone had laid there just a minute before. Swift Wind followed her in.

“What do you need? I’m happy to help!”

“Could you just lay on my feet? Or near them, just for warmth?” Swift Wind balked as best as a horse could. His perturbed expression morphed into one of thoughtful sentiment.

“I...guess. I’m only doing this for you, otherwise I wouldn’t even be in here.” He snorted before trotting over and laying down. Adora tucked her feet under his body. The weight was unfamiliar, so different from the lightness of Catra’s body, but it was warm and enough and she slipped quickly into a dreamless sleep.

~~~

Adora was missing.

“ADORA IS MISSING!” Glimmer nearly woke the whole kingdom as she teleported down the halls yelling. “ADORA IS MISSING! ALERT THE GUARDS! SEND WORD TO ALL THE OTHER KINGDOMS!”

“What in Etheria is the commotion?” Her mother stepped out of her room, rubbing her eyes.

“The Horde! Adora isn't in her room! The Horde must've snuck in during the night and taken her!”

“Glimmer, calm down.” Her mother sighed. “None of the alarms went off. Let's see if we can find her, she must still be on the grounds.” Glimmer took a deep breath and tried to do as her mother asked. They'd just dealt a terrible blow to the Horde, of course there was no way they'd try anything so soon. Adora had to be somewhere nearby.

Glimmer opened what seemed to be the 100th door and for the first time realized just how large their palace was, and just how random the rooms seemed to be. The latest seemed to be specifically a storage room for old vases, not even valuable ones, just a completely random assortment.

“Who in Etheria is even collecting these?” She wondered aloud.

“Collecting what?” Bow’s voice startled her into teleporting directly into them. The hallway echoed with the sound of broken vases.

“BOW!” She scolded.

“Sorry!” Bow rushed over and helped her out of the shattered mess.

“When did you get here?” She brushed some of the pieces out of her hair.

“A few minutes ago, I ran into your mother. She told me you were looking for Adora.”

“Yeah I can't find her anywhere and I'm worried! I knew I never should have slept in my mom’s room. Those Horde spies must've snuck up on her and taken her!” Bow raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“Glimmer, I'm sure she's fine.” Glimmer ignored him and opened up the next door leading to a small closet. Plenty of mops, no Adora.

“I'm worried about her! You saw how exhausted she was after the battle.”

“Worried about who?” Bow and Glimmer spun around to see Adora casually walking toward them. She yawned, bags still under her eyes and her hair prickled with hay. Swift Wind walked alongside her.

“ADORA!” Glimmer shot over and wrapped her in a tight squeeze. “You weren't in your room, or mine, I got so worried that you'd been kidnapped or something!” When Glimmer finally let her take a breath, she inhaled like it was the last time she'd ever suck in air. “Why do you smell like a barn?”

“I'm sorry, I should've left a note or something. I couldn't sleep so I took a walk and then I found Swift Wind and wound up sleeping in the stable.”

“The stable?” Bow repeated, shooting Swift Wind a coy look.

“I was just there to free my brethren but liberation is tiring so I took a nap.” Swift Wind tried to explain.

“I'm just glad you're ok. I'm...I'm just so worried after the battle. We're so weak right now that anything could happen.” Glimmer stared at the ground sadly.

“I'm sorry I made you worry. But I'm ok, and we're meeting with the rest of the princess alliance to fix Bright Moon’s defenses. It'll all be ok.” Adora patted her shoulder. Glimmer wiped the fast forming tears from her eyes.

“You're right.”

“Can we do this over breakfast?” Bow begged, patting his stomach. “I can't do any defending when I'm hungry.” Glimmer grinned at him and hooked an arm in his. She pointed back towards the dining hall and led them away.

Adora lingered a little, and it was enough for Swift Wind to nudge her.

“Thanks.” She said. “For my weird request last night.”

“Catra used to do that for you, huh?” Swift Wind asked. Adora’s sleepy eyes shot wide and she gaped at him. “You said her name a few times in your sleep, you told her she should stop sneaking rations from the kitchen because she'd gotten heavy.” He snorted. “For the record I am the perfect horsey weight.”

“Sorry, I just... yeah. Catra used to sleep in my bunk and after years you just get used to it.” She sighed. “Sometimes I miss that.” Swift Wind nuzzled her hand.

“It'll get easier.” He promised. “And in the meantime, I can always warm your feet.” Adora laughed.

“I don't think you'd fit in my bed.”


	2. Space For Two

“I can start healing the trees immediately defending the Fright Zone perimeter, but most of the animals have fled and won’t come back until most of the Whispering Woods are restored.” Princess Perfuma reported, highlighting her plan of action. Queen Angella sighed, rubbing her forehead. She could feel an anxiety headache coming on.

“We'll set up guard posts in the woods, both to keep an eye on the Horde and to monitor the fauna as they return. Mermista, could you aid in creating some sort of moat for the time being, just enough that we can force the Horde to attack from the sides. We’ll reinforce the guard at our perimeters.”

“I guess I can do that.” Mermista agreed.

“Until then I want patrols three times a day watching the Woods for any sign of enemy activity. Perfuma, you get started right away, take whatever troops you need.”

“I can go with her first!” Adora shot her hand up.

“Adora you just fought a grueling battle are you sure you’re up for it?” Queen Angella asked.

“Yeah, I am. I want to see the extent of the damage and if She-ra can help heal, then I have to go with her.” In truth she wasn't sure if she had the capability to heal anything, or be of any use, but she wanted to see just how bad it all was.

“We'll go too.” Glimmer cut in. “Now that I'm back to my old self, I'll protect her!”

“Fine, Adora and Glimmer-”

“And Bow!” Bow smiled wide.

“...and Bow will escort Princess Perfuma to the edge of the Whispering Woods so she can start repairing. The rest of us will come up with a good schedule of patrols. That'll do for now.” Queen Angella rolled up the map and everyone bowed or curtseyed as she made her way out of the war room.

“I'm ready when you are!” Perfuma waved at them from across the table.

~~~

“Fright Zone Log 76, Force Captain Catra has been sleeping for twelve hours. Actual life signs to be determined.” Entrapta’s hair poked her cheek until she sat up with a hiss. Scorpia and Entrapta both stood at the foot of her bed, peering at her.

“What the heck? Can't I catch a little catnap?” She demanded smoothing her hair. She'd had a fitful night of sleep, her whole body ached from the day before. All she wanted was to curl up somewhere warm and sleep for another day before doing  whatever Horde activities being second-in-command entailed.

“We'd totally let you sleep. Watching you is one of my favorite activities. You just look so cute when you do!” Scorpia brought her claws together dreamily. “But, ah, one of Entrapta’s cameras caught a certain Princess, rhymes with Shmadora, on the edge of the Fright Zone.”

“Adora…” Catra growled.

“Uh, Force Captain Catra, we are in no shape to be going after them. They have three princesses with them and that arrow guy…”

“You guys stay here. I'll figure out what they're doing.” Catra ordered.

“But boss…”

“That's an order.” She hissed before marching out of the barracks.

She took a skiff as far as the buildings would hide her and dropped it off behind a shed. The rest of the way she walked, following her nose. It wasn't long before she caught the scent of flowers, and her nose wrinkled in disgust. She sniffed again, and behind the smell of roses, she recognized Adora. Her brain could have picked it out from miles away, it was so familiar. It brought back an involuntary sense of calm to her and she forced herself to tense again. They were the enemy, to be observed for counter attack.

She caught sight of them easily against the drab, dead wreckage that had once been the Whispering Woods. Adora, her two new best friends, and the flower princess stuck out so much Catra almost had to hold back her laughter. Catra watched them as they muddled about, doing her best not to focus on Adora. She caught on quickly to what they were doing. The flower princess was healing the trees - not the ones directly up front, but a row back so as to conceal the overall mission. She sneered. It would take them ages to heal the whole forest, what good were a few trees here and there?

She glanced back at Adora, who looked deep in thought elsewhere. Without prompt, she stood up, a confused expression covering her face. She said something to the rest of the group and darted away. Catra fought her instinct to follow, she was here to see what they were doing. She was strictly on an intel gathering mission, not to engage with Adora in any way.

A minute passed.

Then again, it was obvious what they were doing. And Adora running away was worth investigating. She convinced herself to follow easily enough.

~~~

 _Adora._ The voice came quickly and forcefully. Adora’s head shot up, recognizing that ethereal echo anywhere.  

“Light Hope?”

 _Adora come. There’s much we have to discuss._ She glanced around at the barren land in front of them. No sign of the Horde anywhere but that didn't mean they couldn’t show up at any moment.

 _Adora._ Urgency mixed with concern flooded her mind, leaving her little choice but to adhere to her calling

“I’ll be right back. Keep watch over Perfuma for me.” Adora said, already midstep into a sprint before Glimmer or Bow could react. Instinct took over as she leapt over dead trees, barrelled her way through bushes, and dodged the tangles of vines that littered her way to the Crystal Castle.

The castle stood independent of the goings on of the rest of Etheria. The battle had not touched the surrounding area, even the trees seemed protected as they stood still green and alive. Adora ascended the steps and walked through the door. She knew the process, and she followed them automatically. The lights flickered on, one by one leading her to where the hologram waited for her.

“For the honor of Grayskull!” She would never get used to the rush of power she felt when she transformed. It was like waking up after a long nap, everything felt sharper, from her senses to her movements. 

“Administrator, recognized.”

“Take me to Light Hope.” Before she could get the words out, the room went dark. Adora whirled around angrily. “Glimmer I said not to follow me!”

“It’s not Glimmer.” One blue, one yellow eye shone menacingly in the dark before the entire figure leapt at her, claws and teeth bared. Adora, in shock, stumbled backwards, instinctively putting up her sword and arm to defend herself as Catra sank her claws into the exposed flesh. Scarlet flowed freely across the fresh marks, and Adora punched at her head, connecting with air as Catra soared back into safety.

“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue? Surprised to see me?” Catra laughed. Her tongue ran out across her claws tasting the metallic tang of Adora’s blood.

“Catra…” Adora growled. 

“You don’t have your friends to come save you this time. It’s just you and me.”

“I don’t need my friends to beat you!” She swung her sword in a wide arc, the blade sparking across the ground as it missed Catra. 

“So slow.” Catra laughed, dancing around her. Adora rushed at her, eyes glowing with rage. Catra dodged behind a pillar and Adora crushed it easily with her fist. The darkness made it hard for her to see where Catra was, and she had to rely on her hearing to warn her that Catra had circled around. She turned just in time to catch Catra in mid jump with a kick that sent her sprawling.

“I told you! I don’t need my friends to beat you. She sprinted over to where Catra lay on her back and quickly pinned her with one hand against her throat and the other with her sword aimed at her stomach in case she wanted to move. Catra smirked.

“I never doubted you.” She whispered. “Go on then, finish me.”

“Finish you?” Adora repeated, and the words sunk in. It never occurred to her that all this fighting, all the back and forth had to lead to something. They couldn’t keep going like this forever, one of them had to lose. And then what? Would she bring Catra back to Bright Moon? Would they lock her up forever? No, not with the damage she’d caused, they’d give her a speedy trial and likely banish her at best. At worst...

“You’re just now figuring it out?” Catra smirked. “We can’t coexist, not like we used to. It’s you, or it’s me, it’s the Horde, or it’s the Rebellion. There’s no room for Adora _and_ Catra.”

“I refuse to believe that.” Adora snapped. Catra’s hand circled the one holding her sword. Her warmth startled Adora, and she remembered just how much she’d missed it.

“You have to.”

Adora expected Catra to try and push her hand away, she braced herself for it, but when Catra’s hand pulled sharply her muscles followed. The scream was out of her mouth before she felt blood on her hand.

“CATRA!” She pulled back with too much force and the sword flew back, hitting another Crystal pillar before clattering to the ground. “CATRA, NO!” Her hands flew in a flurry to try and stem the bleeding.

“There’s no room for both of you.” Catra’s voice distorted and the light in the chamber came back, blinding Adora momentarily. Light Hope stood before her, emotionlessly watching her tears poured from her eyes. 

“What did you do?!” Adora screamed, looking down at the body in her arms.

Except there was no body.

She threw herself back in horror, scanning her hands. No blood, no marks. Her arms showed no injuries and Catra was nowhere in sight.

“What’s going on?” She demanded. The tears were real enough and they streamed down hot across her cheeks. Rage bubbles in her stomach and threatened to spill over. She felt sick and shakily got to her feet, not sure if she'd throw up first or try and hurt Light Hope.

“Showing you the truth.”

“The truth?! Like you told me my friends were a burden, they helped me defeat the Horde! I need them!” Light Hope stared, unmoved by her emotion.

“They’re not the ones you need to worry about.” Light Hope stated. The image of Catra appeared next to her. “Your affection towards this one...that is your weakness.”

“Catra?”

“She threatens Etheria’s very existence, and yet when you have multiple chances, you don’t destroy her. Instead you let her live, and she will come back stronger, and will continue to do harm to this planet.” Light Hope dismissed the image. “You must look past your friendship with her, you must be prepared to do what must be done.” Adora backed away, and bile rose again in her throat as she did.

“No, I can’t.” She insisted. “I won’t!” She grabbed her discarded sword and ran. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t forget the image of Catra bleeding out. She wouldn’t. No matter what the cost, she couldn’t do it. She ran as hard as her legs could take her out of the Crystal Castle.

From the corner of the chamber, the real Catra emerged and followed her out, eyes dark with unshed tears. 

~~~

“I want simulations, anything that will help me get an edge on She-ra the next time. I want to know her every move, her every attack.” Catra stormed into Entrapta’s workshop, grabbing the tech princess by her arm. Emily made a whirring noise, following them as they rushed down the hall towards the training room. Entrapta’s hair curled under her chin thoughtfully.

“I suppose that I could rig some of the robots to match her style. Let me pull up the video of our last battle. Aren't you glad I installed those cameras when I had the chance? I just knew we could get valuable insight into the battle tactics of Bright Moon...” She rambled about possibilities until they arrived, never asking why Catra suddenly burst in with that request. It was one of her favorite things about Entrapta. Catra flexed her claws and stepped into the training chamber. How many times had they fought in there together and against each other? She couldn't remember a day when they didn't. It was the look in Adora’s eyes that got her every time when they fought each other, the look that she didn't want to hurt her, and it threw Catra off guard every time because she found herself doing the same. She held back. Pound for pound she’d always been stronger, faster, and more agile. But like an ingrained habit, whenever she fought Adora and their eyes locked, it was like Adora hypnotized her. 

“You did nothing but hold me back!” Catra yelled as the door closed. A small robot dropped from the ceiling, and Catra turned around angrily. “Entrapta I said sim-” before she could yell fully, the robot slammed into her as hard as it could and when Catra turned the robot had taken the form and illusion of She-ra.

“Sorry! The lag was a lot more than I'd thought. Maybe I rewired it incorrectly, I wonder if I swapped in more RAM…” Catra had already blocked her voice out. Her chest burned with anger just looking at the projected image of She-ra. The figure stared at her with equal hatred, and Catra flew at her with claws unsheathed. 

The simulation dodged her attacks easily, and Catra had to back away to regain her balance after she nearly swung too hard. She-ra clipped her tail with her sword as she spun away, looking for a better vantage point. The room was empty save them, and Catra quickly realized that empty terrain would be to her disadvantage in a real scenario.

“Entrapta, need some stuff in here! Rocks, plants, something!” She jumped out of the way as She-ra lunged at her again, this time the arc of her sword cut close a few hairs on her ear. She glanced up at the control center to see what Entrapta was doing. There was no one there. No one was there to stop this simulation.

She gritted her teeth and paced around She-ra, muscles tensed to react. When she lunged again Catra leapt higher, kicking the flat of the sword away. She snapped her tail at her wrist hoping it would dislodge the sword from her hand but it only threw her arm back. She improvised instead, bring her claws down from her chin to her chest, leaving disturbingly realistic looking wounds. In response, She-ra brought her left fist and connected it with Catra’s side, sending her sputtering into the ground a few feet away.

“Entrapta now would be a good time for some terrain!” She shouted again to nothingness. Her ribs hurt, maybe they were cracked from repeated damage but she managed to get to her feet. With a loud war cry she charged at She-ra again, this time ducking way under the sword as it sailed above her head. She hooked She-ra’s ankles and flipped her completely around. This time the sword did dislodge from her grasp as she lay exposed on the ground. Catra pounced, placing her claws right under her chin.

She-ra didn’t move, didn’t say anything. She just gazed into Catra’s eyes with a cold glare. Catra’s gripped her neck, barely perceptible tears forming at her eyes. Is this what it would be like in real life? Would her best friend be staring at her like she hated her every fiber?

 _There’s no room for you both._  

Light Hope’s words echoed in her head - a reminder of the truth she already suspected. Adora may not have been willing to finish her in the Crystal Castle's chamber, but she would not make that same mistake. She would not be the weaker one. She gave one furious cry and tore her claws across She-ra’s throat. The hologram flickered and vanished, leaving her with nothing but metal and wires in her hand.

“Hey! You destroyed it!” Entrapta’s voice filled the speakers. Catra said nothing, she threw the robot parts onto the ground and made her way to the door. They lit up green, signaling that she’d finished her training, before the doors slid open.

“How was it?” Entrapta asked. “Life like? Did you see any glitches in her movement? Did she…” Catra spun on her heel and threw Entrapta up against the wall. 

“Leave. Me. Alone.” She released her and walked out of the training room.

“Training Day 1, the simulation seems to have dredged up some tough feelings for the Force Captain.”

When Catra found herself out of view, she sank to the ground. Her hands were still shaking from the adrenaline. She wrapped her hands around each other and looked up at the ceiling. She could still feel She-ra’s throat under her hands, and even though it was really a robot, she swore she could feel her heartbeat. She looked down at them, her eyes wide with the realization of what she'd done.

 _It’s inevitable._ A voice in her head cackled. _One day your hands will be covered with her blood and only then will you be free._

The word flooded her nerve endings, calming her as it lingered in her mind. It was like she'd finally found a way to describe what she fought for.

 _Free._ Yes. That’s all she wanted. She wanted to be free of Adora finally.


	3. The Flying Hearts Festival

Adora ran blindly through the forest, wiping tears away as quickly as they came. Branches clawed at her face, reminding her of the way Catra’s claws felt.

_ There’s no room for Adora  _ and  _ Catra.  _

“No!” Her ankle hit a sharp knob on a log and sent her tumbling down a small dirt hill. She lost her grip on her sword as she rolled. By the time she hit the bottom, she’d been battered by rocks and debris, and small cuts stained her clothes scarlet. She could see the glint of her sword just out of the corner of her eye, but made no move to retrieve it, or move from where she lay. A dark blue sky sprawled above her, a few pinpricks of starlight gleaming through. She didn’t want to get up, she wanted to stay, and cry, and wish to some extent that she’d never had this choice thrust upon her.

She couldn’t imagine a world where she lived and Catra didn’t. They’d been together since she could remember, and even though they were on opposite sides, it was the hope that maybe, just maybe they could reconcile that kept her going. Light Hope had to be wrong, there was room enough for both of them, because the alternative was an idea Adora couldn’t entertain for a second.

“ADOOORRAA??” Bow's voice floated over the hill, just barely reaching her ears. She stood up, wiped her eyes and picked up her sword. She took a deep breath, subconsciously packing all of her visible worries away so as not to trouble her friends.

“I'm here!” She shouted back, making her way up the slippery slope. Their heads poked over the edge just when she was about halfway up. 

“What happened?” Glimmer teleported to her side, and teleported her the rest of the way. 

“I fell.” 

“I can see that.” Glimmer snorted, brushing some of the dirt off of Adora’s clothes. “I mean why did you run off like that?” Adora winced when Glimmer accidentally brushed her quickly bruising hip.

“Nothing, I just…is Perfuma done?” Neither Glimmer nor Bow noticed her sudden change in subject, instead they turned to Perfuma, just making her way to their side. Her face was sunken, and her eyes drooped with exhaustion. She just managed a thumbs up before collapsing on the ground.

“We finished up, and we should get back to Bright Moon before any Horde discover us here.” Glimmer suggested as Bow helped Perfuma up to her feet again. Adora could only nod in return. Her limbs felt like they wore shackles, and she trudged along next to them in silence. 

“Hey, you ok?” Glimmer asked, peering over her shoulder at her despondent friend. “What happened back there?”

“Nothing!” Adora answered too quickly and too cheerfully. Glimmer shot her a knowing look

“Adora come on, please tell us, if something happened…”

“Nothing happened! I’m just...more tired than I thought I’d be. The battle and everyth-” As soon as she said the word “battle”, the image of Catra bleeding out in her arms materialized in her mind again and she choked on her words.

“Told you.” Bow muttered. “Should have listened to your mom and let her rest!”

“You didn’t tell me anything!” Glimmer insisted, and Adora found herself glad for the petty bickering that filled the silence the rest of the way home. 

~~~

Catra peered into the room where the dormant Black Garnet runestone stood. Only the soft whirring of Emily in the center, following Entrapta’s every move, offset the eerie quiet.

“So what’s the verdict?” Catra interrupted. Entrapta jumped several feet and her hair stood on end.

“YIKES. You make it a habit to sneak up on people like that?” She whirled around.

“Not really, just habit.” She shrugged in response. “So what’s going on with this thing?”

“We may have, scratch that, we  _ definitely  _ short-circuited the runestone. No matter what I do it won’t get going again. I’ve tried everything!” She flopped on the ground dramatically. Catra’s ear twitched with annoyance. 

“So what does that mean for us?”

“That  _ means _ ,” Entrapta got to her feet again, “we can’t sap the other runestones of their power again, we can't power a lot of the machines, and worst of all, I can't run any new experiments!” Her eyes watered and Catra took a step back just in case she burst out sobbing.

“So? We're not like Shadow Weaver, it's not like our army stops because some runestone is broken. Plus I thought you learned enough?”

“Knowledge without applicability makes us more of a school than an army!” Entrapta insisted as she proceeded to take more measurements of the Black Garnet. “What are you going to show Hordak for all of this if you can't make your army more powerful?” Catra bristled at the thought. It was true, they'd suffered a massive military loss over some academic experiment. If she couldn't produce something that would give them the edge over the Rebellion, Hordak wouldn't hesitate to demote her, or worse. She wouldn't end up in the same place as Shadow Weaver, all talk and nothing to show for it.

But then again Shadow Weaver's priorities had been skewed by a certain blond traitor.

“So what do we do?”

“We have to get it up and running again. We have to jump start it.” Entrapta said.

“How?” Catra almost sighed in relief at how confident the scientist sounded.

“We need power from another runestone. If I could wire that power maybe it could start it up again.” Catra grinned when the thought crossed her mind that the runestones weren't that much different from tanks. Once, she and Adora had accidentally left a tank’s lights on after taking it for a joy ride and had to plead with Kyle to help them. He wound up bringing Lonnie, who threatened to tell Shadow Weaver what they'd done and only Adora pointing out that they'd all technically stolen tanks that day prevented them from getting in any trouble at all.

Adora the diplomat. Adora the crowd pleaser. Really it only would have been Catra who would have gotten in trouble. Shadow Weaver didn't care about Lonnie or Kyle - she wasn't sure Shadow Weaver even knew who they were - and Adora would have been warned. But her…

She shuddered a little.

“Ok but how do we even get power from the runestones? It's not like I can just waltz into some kingdom and just say ‘hey guys, I'm just borrowing this for a quick second. No worries, just charging the runestone of death to destroy you guys, be back in a jiffy.’” Catra sneered. Entrapta’s hair curled under her chin for a second.

“We could try to steal the sword again.” Entrapta suggested. Catra scoffed. 

“Adora’s not bright, but she's not stupid. There's no way she'll let us near the sword again.”

“I have an idea if anyone wants to hear.” This time both Catra and Entrapta startled into the air as Scorpia poked her head over Catra’s shoulder. 

“Scorpia! How long have you been standing there?!” Catra hissed.

“Long enough to know you need a source of portable runestone energy. And I know just the thing!”

~~~

Glimmer paced outside Adora’s door, debating whether or not to teleport in for a quick look. Bow fiddled with the fletching on his arrows. 

“She's been in her room for days! She's barely come out, what if she's dead?” Glimmer whispered urgently.

“She's not, she's fine. We saw her this morning sneaking some pancakes back to her room. Let her rest, she's earned it.”

“She hasn't been the same since we got back from our mission. Something happened, I just know it.”

“You think the Horde got her?” Glimmer shot him an exasperated look.

“No, she wouldn't be standing here if they did.” She touched the door gently. “I just want her to talk to us.” Bow put his arrows back and grinned.

“You know what might cheer her up?” He asked, then made a heart shape in the air with his fingers.

~~~

Adora stared at the ceiling, still trying her best to wrap her head around everything that had happened. She wrestled hard with Light Hope’s warning, as the seed the guardian planted took root in her confidence.

“Adora?” Glimmer knocked softly, pressing open the door just a bit. Adora rolled over and pretended to sleep. “I know you're faking. You don't have to talk to us, but at least spend some time with us.” Adora rolled over again and sat up.

“Sorry guys I'm just…”

“Tired, we know.” Bow interrupted. “But are you too tired for a festival?” At the mention of a party, Adora’s ears perked up despite her mood. Both of her friends noticed and broke into smiles.

“W-what kind of festival?” It was the first she'd spoken so much in a while and her voice cracked a little. 

The Flying Hearts festival!” Adora understood that word “festival” and “the”, and she supposed she knew what “flying” and “hearts” meant out of context, but all the words together drew one big question mark.

“Seriously, maybe we should just wait until everyone in the Horde gets old and dies alone.” Bow muttered.

“The Flying Hearts festival happens once a year! It's to celebrate love, and finding the person you're meant to be with forever.” Glimmer clapped her hands together dreamily, but Adora still had no idea what they were talking about. The look of confusion on Adora’s face sparked instant concern, perhaps more so than when they'd found her immobile in the Crystal Castle. Certainly it felt more dire.

“Tell me you know what love is.” Bow sounded like he was on the verge of a breakdown. His hand clasped his heart shirt, as if the wrong answer would make him tear it. Break his heart so to speak.

“I know what love is! I love you guys! I...I love cupcakes.” Adora attempted. Her arms flailed, as if the excessive motion could convince them. 

“Not friend love, or...cupcake love.  _ True love. _ ” Glimmer put as much emphasis as she could on the last two words, trying to force Adora to understand. 

“True love?”

“Like, you want to be with them forever, like you want to wake up by their side, and…” Glimmer blushed and she sparkled scarlet with the thought “you want to kiss them.” Bow sighed, mimicking a faint onto the couch. Adora immediately flushed at the mention of kissing anyone. She'd heard of the concept back in the Fright Zone, she's even come across a few cadets trying it out but they were quickly discovered and reprimanded. The Horde had no patience for such antics and Adora stayed far enough away.

That definitely wasn't to say she didn't know of it, or of  _ true love  _ like Glimmer had stated. What she didn't understand was why there was a festival dedicated to it, was it a festival for kissing?

It took both Glimmer and Bow’s horrified staring at her to realize her train of thought carried over to a grimace wide on her face.

“Do you not believe?” Bow asked, aghast.

“I don't know, the Horde never talked about it. It was a forbidden subject.”

“But you know what it is, right? Like Netossa and Spinerella are in love, and Sea Hawk loves Mermista…”

“But not the other way around.” Glimmer added.

“I know, I know. So what does that have to do with the Flying Hearts festival or whatever?” Adora felt more and more uncomfortable talking about it. It was like when they were in their bunks late at night and she would hear Lonnie and Kyle discuss who they liked, who they found attractive. They tried to rope her and Catra in once, but she'd adamantly refused to participate in non-Horde sanctioned conversations and Catra just shrugged and ignored them, saying even if she did she would rather don a princess tiara than tell them.

“So once a year, the love sprites in my kingdom come out and bless people in love.” Bow explained. “It’s a sign of really good luck if you and your beloved are surrounded by the love sprites, it means they react strongly to your bond.”

“It can create all sorts of drama if you and your supposed true love show up to the festival and no sprites surround you at all.” Glimmer grinned like she had seen it happen to an unfortunate couple, and she relished the memory of it. She didn't elaborate further, but her soft cackling signaled she continued to relive the memory.

“Everyone from all the kingdoms come in hope that they'll fine true love!” Bow exclaimed. “Don’t you want that?” 

“I-I don't know.” Adora stammered. She could feel her cheeks getting hot just thinking about it for the first time. She'd been so busy, either with the Horde or taking on the She-ra mantle, this never had a chance to cross her mind. Suddenly forced to think about it, she had no idea what to even imagine.

“You don't have like, the ideal person?” Glimmer asked.

“I-”

“What kind of person do you want to be with?”

“I don't know…” Her palms started to sweat under the interrogation. “Someone strong? Someone who cares? Someone who is righteous?” Glimmer raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. 

“You just described yourself.” She frowned. 

“Hey! Self-love is important.” Bow corrected. He wrapped himself up in a hug as if to demonstrate. “But regardless, we're all going and maybe this year we'll find our perfect match.” Adora grimaced, thinking that maybe she preferred training in the Crystal Castle to going to this particular party. But a small part of her tugged with curiosity. Most of it was dread, but the idea of meeting that perfect person stirred an insatiable need to find out. Just in case. 

~~~

“The Flying Hearts festival!” Literally none of the words made sense. Catra swore Scorpia has changed languages somehow.

“The what what what?” Catra repeated.

“The. Flying.” Scorpia tried to mime her words but wound up looking like she was just swimming in mid-air. “Hearts. Festival.” The blank look persisted. Scorpia sighed and shook her head. Entrapta giggled to herself watching Catra try to wrap her head around the idea. It seemed harder to explain than any of her far-fetched theories.

“It's a gathering of people that celebrate this thing called ‘love’. Love is this thing…”

“I know what love is!” Catra flushed angrily. She despised that Scorpia was treating her like a naive child. “What does it have to do with us getting the Black Garnet working again?”

“You want some runestone energy that’s easy to steal? The festival is your place. You see, every year tons of people head there in hopes that they’ll find true love. That’s when supposedly the flying hearts appear.” Scorpia scratched her head. “I was never allowed to go, but I hear they’re everywhere. And each one of these so called ‘flying hearts’ carries a little bit of the Amour Kingdom runestone energy that they’ve absorbed through the year.”

“Which means if we get our hands on just a few of them, we’ll have enough to jump start the Black Garnet again.” Catra finished. “Can we get in and out without being seen?”

“You might. There are so many people that go, you should be able to just blend into the crowd if you wear a hood or something. Something cute.” The way Scorpia eyed her when saying the last part send a shiver down Catra’s spine.

“Oh oh oh! I've heard of it! I've always seen a massive energy spike around that time but I never got a chance to go myself, my parents wouldn't let me go, something about not being emotionally mature but I bet it's a fascinating social experience!” Entrapta interjected. 

“So when is it?” Catra asked. Scorpia counted on her claws as best as she could. 

“In about two days...” Catra’s eyes shot open wide.

“Which means we need to pick out the perfect outfit for you!” Scorpia grinned, quickly ignoring her ten foot rule and picked her up.

“Gotta get a move on.” She said and dashed out of the room.

“Bring back some cute souvenirs for me to dissect!” Entrapta shouted after them.

“PUT ME DOWN!” Catra shouted, banging on Scorpia’s solid back. “We have time! Let me go!”


	4. The Flying Hearts Festival Part 2

Catra peered around the corner leading up to Hordak’s room, checking for any sign of danger. Specifically, she worried about a certain oversized crustacean and her litany of outfits she threatened to throw on Catra for her mission. When she saw no sign of her second, she breathed out a sigh of relief and straightened, pushing her hair back.

“Hordak,” She practiced, “I’m going on a mission to try and bring back rune stone energy so we can power the black garnet again.”

“Hordak isn’t even here.”

Lonnie once inquired why it looked like someone had taken a sword to the ceiling in some parts of the base, like some child had decided to wave one around, stabbing at it randomly, leaving deep gashes in a condensed area. If she had been around to watch Catra jump the full distance to the ceiling and dig her razor sharp claws in so that she hung upside-down, it would be one mystery solved.

“WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT SNEAKING UP ON ME?” Catra screeched.

“I am so sorry, it totally slipped my mind because I think I found the perfect outfit!” Scorpia held up a bright pink dress. “Everyone there will look just like this, I swear, at least, that’s how I imagine this festival going. Not that I’ve ever been there but I’ve heard so much…” Catra retracted her claws and dropped to the floor. She pushed the dress away.

“I am not wearing that to this stupid festival, I’ll just go in, grab it, and leave.”

“Going on a little vacation then, are we?” The hair on Catra’s body stood on end when the low, gravely voice crept up on her. She whirled around, and Scorpia did her best to hide the dress behind her back.

“Lord Hordak!” She announced nervously.

“What is this about a...festival?”

“I, uh, Entrapta! She has a theory about how to get the garnet rune stone, and there’s this festival in the kingdom of Amour, and our goal is to go there and get some of the rune stone energy from sprites.” Hordak’s crimson eyes narrowed disapprovingly.

“Another far fetched mission.” Horak’s hand waved dismissively. “Every day the whispering woods grow stronger, our advantage weakens, and you want to chase sprites following some princess’s theory.”

“She’s proven useful to us thus far.” Catra argued. Her hands clenched involuntarily.

“I am sure she has.” Horak responded sarcastically. “With everything she has to show us, I’m sure chasing her theory rather than attacking a weakened kingdom, is a much better use of your time, Force Captain.”

“Please, Lord Hordak, trust me.” Catra pleaded. He pursed his lips.

“Do not fail me, and bring me something to show for this...absurd outing.” He brushed past her as she quickly knelt. Blood pounded in her ears from embarrassment and the whole plan suddenly sounded exactly as Hordak described, a fool’s errand, and she felt like the biggest idiot of them all for even indulging in it.

“This is stupid.” She muttered. “Hordak’s right, we should focus on attacking the weakened kingdom, not run everywhere for some experiment that might not even work.”

“Catra, if this works, we’ll have plenty to show for it.” Scorpia whispered. The dress in her claws fell to the ground at the same time Catra stood, and she glared at it angrily.

“And what if it doesn’t?”

“What do you want?” Scorpia asked, taking a step closer. She wanted to pull Catra into a hug, to try and make her feel better about the interaction, to let her know that she had the support of her friends even when her boss didn’t. But the ten foot rule held her back.

“What do I want?” Catra growled angrily at the thought, like she even had a choice to do what she wanted. She wanted Hordak to realize her potential, she wanted to defeat the Princess Alliance, she wanted to see Adora on her knees begging for mercy, telling her that she was stronger, that She-ra had nothing on her. That’s what she wanted.

 _Liar._ Like Hordak’s little minion, the tiny voice in the back of her head hissed over and over at her. _Liar, liar, liar._

What did she want?

She wanted...she wanted Adora to disappear, she wanted the satisfaction of making Adora disappear so that she didn’t have to see her, to think about her anymore, and then…

And then she wanted to disappear with her.

“It doesn’t matter what I want. What matters is that this better work.” She turned on her heel. “Get rid of that stupid dress, I’ll stay out of sight the whole time, it’ll be better that way.”

 ~~~

“So what do you even wear to something like this?” Adora asked as Glimmer flung outfits onto the bed. Glimmer peered over her shoulder through skeptical eyes.

“Are you saying you’re actually going to wear something other than that?” She nodded at Adora’s daily combo. Adora flushed and turned away.

“It’s comfortable and practical ok?” She defended quickly.Glimmer rolled her eyes and went back to deciding her own clothes. Adora fidgeted in place. Typically the prospect of festivals made her excited but this one made her uneasy. The most she had to do at other parties was maybe figure out how to sing happy birthday. But to potentially find her soulmate? What if she didn’t even like her soulmate?

“Hey Glimmer? How often do people find the person they’re meant to be with at this?”

“My mom found my dad.” Glimmer responded, and her response only served to escalate Adora’s anxiety. “Why?”

“I don’t know if I’m ready to find my other half.” Adora admitted. Glimmer turned and teleported to Adora’s side.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s a lot of pressure!” Adora blurted. “Saving Eternia, easy. Love? Terrifying.” Glimmer threw her arm around Adora’s shoulders and squeezed.

“It’s no guarantee!” She reassured. “If you’re feeling this way, I’m sure the sprites won’t even come near you. No pressure at all, I promise.” They both turned to the sound of the door opening, and Bow walked in, dressed atypically nice. He wore a white button up jacket, midriff showing of course, pleated pants, and white and gold dress shoes.

“Think you overdid it?” Glimmer muttered. She could feel her hand and face longing to get closer to each other.

“You can never overdo it for love!” Bow brought his fist to his chest dramatically. Glimmer rolled her eyes and turned back to Adora, who once again looked like she was ready to jump out a window and hope that Swift Wind caught her.

“I won’t dress up, ok? Just to show you there’s no pressure? It’s just a stupid festival, it’s supposed to be fun.” Adora forced her best smile on her face and nodded.

 ~~~

The tension faded a bit when she arrived. The whole festival radiated a sense of belonging and calm. Adora wasn’t sure if it was the soft warm glow of pink sprites floating in and out of visibility, or the hopeful looks on all the festival-goers. An attendant handed her a long cone of pink fluffy candy, which helped too.

“See? It’s not scary.” Just as quickly as the tension faded, a loud shrieking wail brought it right back. They barely had a second to react before Sea Hawk barreled through the crowd and disappeared out the front. Turning their heads preemptively, the trio didn’t have to wait long until Mermista appeared from behind a tent, her arms folded angrily.

“Didn’t show again, huh?” Glimmer asked flatly.

“He doesn’t even wait, not that they’d show, but he walks in, and runs right back out. Ugh, I’ll go find him.” They watched Mermista leisurely follow the sound of sobbing out of the area.

“I think that’s a new record.” Bow noted. “Last time he waited at least ten minutes.”

“Come on, let’s go take some photos!” Glimmer tugged at Bow and the two of them disappeared a little further ahead, where some a line formed to a floral archway.

“First time here?” Adora started a little when a deep voice addressed her from the side. A tall, dark skinned man with shoulder length dark hair walked towards her. Gold rimmed glasses framed his face, and he wore a plain blue tunic and tan slacks. A five o’clock shadow brushed his cheeks and chin.

“Oh, yeah.”

“Over hyped, in my opinion.” The man laughed. “Rumors of the love sprites are greatly exaggerated. I don’t think they appear out of anything but luck.”

“Really?”

“There’s been no evidence that the sprites appear for any reason beyond just needing to get outside once a year. The kingdom of Amour play it up like it’s some romantic reckoning.” He pushed his glasses up. “But...it does give people an excuse to hope, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.” He turned to look at Glimmer and Bow who had just finished up their picture. “Bow certainly knows how to pick his friends…”

“Bow?” Adora began.

“Deacon?” Bow shouted in disbelief. Before Adora had a chance to register what was going on, Bow sprinted up to the man and threw his arms around him.

“Good to see you little brother.” Deacon wrapped his arms around Bow and spun him around. Adora started to notice the similarities between the two and wondered if this was what looking at an older Bow was like.

“How have you been? How's teaching? Tell me everything!” Deacon smiled warmly and put him down.

“In time, first, do you plan to introduce me to your friends?” He gestured toward the other two.

“Oh! This is Glimmer, she's a princess. And this is Adora, the one I told you about!” Deacon regarded Adora with fascination. His eyes glittered the same way Bow’s did when he had some new technological discovery.

“So you're the fabled She-ra.” He murmured and the gears in his head started turning.

“Glimmer, Adora, this is my older brother Deacon.”

“It's a pleasure to meet you!” Glimmer stuck his hand out but Deacon didn't notice. His eyes locked firmly on Adora, studying her from head to toe and it made Adora a little uneasy, like she was being visually dissected.

“So, uh, what do you do, Deacon?” She asked, instinctively folding into herself a little.

“I study magic. I study how to harness it for the people who don't typically have it.” He responded without blinking.

“That’s so cool.” Adora looked everywhere but at Deacon’s scrutinizing gaze. Bow stepped between them, finally breaking the eye contact.

“Why don’t we all go explore some more?” He offered. “We just got here after all.” His brother straightened and pushed his glasses up again.

“Ah, yes, excuse me. I tend to fixate on fascinating subjects.” He cleared his throat. “How about I give you a brief history lesson of the Amour kingdom as we peruse?”

 ~~~

The sound of the festival reverberated through the forest about a mile out and Catra picked up on it immediately. She slowed her pace, opting to climb trees for a better vantage point. She when she got closer, her breath caught in her throat at just how many people were there. Her eyes instinctively combed the crowd for a familiar face, and she shook her head to stop herself.

“Focus.” She hissed. There was no time to dwell, she had to collect some fairies and head back as soon as possible. She peered through the brambles, looking for any tell tale lights, maybe some that were isolated. Her eyes caught sight of a shock of blond hair and her blood ran cold. It was a feeling unwelcomingly familiar to her any time she caught sight of Adora. It’s what made her hate seeing her, and at the same time, she couldn’t help but creep closer. She craved closeness, hoping that it made Adora feel the same pain she felt every time they locked eyes.

It was not Adora though, as evidently clear when the person turned around. It was just some random girl, holding tightly onto her male companion’s arm. He was crying for some reason, and Catra rolled her eyes.

“Why won’t they show up?” He all but wailed. The girl too looked forlorn, and gently removed her hand from him. For a few seconds, they stood facing opposite directions.

“Maybe...maybe we aren’t meant to be after all.” She whispered. Before either of them had a chance to speak again, an older woman in long gold and pink robes strode towards them, concern plastered on her face.

“What’s the matter?” She asked.

“They’re not showing...we’re...we’re not meant to be…” The boy burst into tears again, and Catra cocked her head in confusion. Did they mean the sprites? What significance did it bear? The older woman smiled warmly, placing a hand on either of their shoulders.

“Just because they do not show up this year for you two, does not mean that your union is not blessed. They react to the strength of your bond, and bonds can be strengthened over time.” The two of them glanced at each other. The boy wiped his tears and took her hand.

“Then...then I’ll work to strengthen our bond, and we’ll come back next year and they’ll show up for sure!” He promised. The girl squeezed his hand, and they both gasped when a single pink fairy appeared behind them and patted them on the head before flying off into the distance.

Catra gritted her teeth and jumped behind a tent to follow. She lost sight of it over a stall selling what looked like round spiral disks. Instead her ears picked up on familiar laughter. She used to hear laughter like that in the hallways, a sure giveaway to where Adora hid. Sure enough, not more than a hundred feet away, Adora and her idiot companions were throwing rings at bottles, clearly failing in whatever goal they were aiming for.

“You have to loft it!” Bow insisted as he tossed one underhand, only to have it clatter uselessly off to the side. He groaned. Catra watched as an unfamiliar man standing next to them tossed a ring, and it spun across a few bottles tops before settling in its place around one bottle neck.

“And we have a winner!” The attendant at the booth handed him a stuffed horse, which he promptly handed to Adora, leaning in close to whisper in her ear. She couldn’t hear what he said, but whatever he said, it made Adora sputter and turn bright red. She took a few steps back, and hurried off. Catra looked around, still no sprites for her to catch. So if there were none around here, she could find them elsewhere. Flimsy as the excuse was, she ducked behind a few crates and stalked after Adora.

 ~~~

Adora jumped into the nearest empty tent she could find. In the dark, she clutched the horse to her chest and did her best to calm her heart rate.

 _“I’d like you to come visit me in my laboratory. Without Bow or Glimmer, just yourself. I’d like to study you, if that’s alright.”_ Deacon’s words came back to her, and she flushed anew. He unsettled her with his forwardness, and she didn’t know how to tell him she’d be happy to go but only if her friends were present. She wanted to ask Bow if he was always this unsettling, but it felt a little rude to inquire. She sighed, the whole festival had her too sensitive to third-party interests. It was one thing she missed about the Horde, the rules were simple and they only had to worry about one thing - destroy the princesses.

That wasn’t true. It wasn’t the only thing she missed about the Horde. Her fingers dug into the stuffed animal, almost tearing the seams. She missed Catra, as much as she hated to admit. A soft smile crept up on the corners of her mouth. She wondered what Catra would make of all this...spectacle.

 ~~~

Catra could make out the outline of Adora’s back through the tent fabric. She could smell her familiar scent, even if it had sweetened during her time with the rebellion. She took a step closer, her claws flexing out. All she needed to do was reach out, Adora wouldn’t even know what happened.

“Catra,” The hairs on her entire body stood up and she nearly jumped back. Her mouth opened to demand how Adora knew she was there but Adora kept talking. “I wonder what you’re doing while I’m here at some stupid love festival.” It was almost worse than if Adora had known she was standing right behind her. To hear that Adora still thought about her, maybe even still cared? She took another step forward until her hands were just touching the tent. The figure just beyond the walls tilted back, like there was an actual hard surface to support her and Catra caught her with outstretched hands. She froze in place, the warmth of Adora’s back against her palms paralyzed her. If she moved, Adora would know someone was holding her up. If she just stayed perfectly still, she could pretend to be some random object Adora leaned against. She ground her teeth together, looking to see if anyone could spot her from her hiding spot. Her position seemed safe enough, and she turned back to her predicament.

She could still hurt her. She could just scratch right through the thin fabric, grab Adora and it would be over so quickly. There’d be no time for She-ra, no time for any of her friends to hear her. That would be it, she’d win, it would be so easy.

Instead, she brought her head as close to Adora’s back as possible and breathed. It’d been so long since they’d been this close without trying to kill each other. Just for a minute, she thought, she could just close her eyes and pretend that they were back in the Fright Zone together. She did so, and as she blinked away the world, soft pink lights started to gather behind her. First there were two that floated, but soon area filled with them. A few went in through the tent, and Adora gasped aloud, standing up straight as they encircled her.  
“What the-” As soon as the weight lifted from Catra’s hands, she dropped them, and almost let out a soft exclamation herself. The sprites floated around her, ducking back and forth under the tent flaps.

“Is anyone there?” Adora asked. Instantly Catra sprang back into action. She removed a jar from her cloak and gathered a few unsuspecting sprites in. The tent wall curled a little, and Catra screwed the lid back on, and leapt out of sight as fast as she could. Adora emerged from inside, looking around as the sprites continued to fill the area. “Hello?” Adora’s heart pounded as she looked for any sign of a person that maybe they were reacting to. “Hello?”

“Adora!” Bow’s voice called out from behind her, and as they neared, the sprites flitted away, their interest seemingly lost. “Woah, what happened? You were just surrounded! Did you meet your soulmate?!” Adora shrugged, gesturing at the seemingly devoid space around her.

“I told you it was just rumors.” Deacon announced proudly, as if his theory had just been proven. Glimmer frowned.

“Maybe you were right all along, maybe the person you’re meant to be with was yourself.” She posited. Adora crossed her arms, both relieved and slightly offended by the notion.

“The fireworks are going to start soon.” Bow noted, nodding over to a group of attendants in the distance setting up the platform. “Let’s go get a good spot.” Adora nodded, looking over her shoulder one last time before following. When the coast was finally clear, Catra emerged from her hiding spot and held out the jar. There were three in there, hopefully enough to get Entrapta the energy she needed. She would ignore the fact that the nerves in her hands still buzzed.


End file.
